Pastor Eric lives each day of his call in the midst of the reality that the mission field is indeed around and among us. Our young people need to hear the loving and redeeming Word of God for them in this time, now more than ever. University campuses in Nebraska and throughout our nation are indeed a mission field that we are called to support. In the same way, we are called to remember that the mission field for us is sometimes as close as our neighbor’s door or the person we see each day at school, work, or even the store. Do they have a church home where they feel welcome and a part of an active church family? We can do our part by inviting and welcoming those around us, but what of our young people if/when they decide to go away to school?

While it doesn’t always begin with young people, it is a fact that the young adults of recent generations increasingly have no church background at all. This is where Lutheran Campus Ministries can be of help to young people who are sometimes far from home, friends and family for the first time in their lives. Campus ministry doesn’t just touch people with a church background but frequently touches those who have no idea what it is to be a member of an active church. There are people in many congregations whose faith lives have been helped tremendously by being involved with Campus Ministries and they are more active in their congregations because of that experience. The mission field is indeed around and among us. May our prayers this month help us remember those who need to hear the Good News of God’s love whether they are next door, down the street or across the state, at work or in school, at home or wherever they happen to be.